Outline of talk

  • What is a military operation?

  • The demand of the military soldier

  • Determinants of military readiness

  • Benefit of maintaining physical fitness

  • Training strategies during deployment to preserve physical fitness and military readiness

  • Practical application

Narrowing the scope:

  • Physiological fitness is defined as strength and endurance related variables

  • Military personnel are not being categorized into their military occupational specialties

  • Will not delve into biological mechanisms occurring during operations (i.e. hormones)

Outline of talk

  • What is a military operation?

  • The demand of the military soldier

  • Determinants of military readiness

  • Benefit of maintaining physical fitness

  • Training strategies during deployment to preserve physical fitness and military readiness

  • Practical application

Military operations

Range of military operations (ROMO)

  • The conflict continuum forms the operation (inspired by doctrine.af.mil)

Military operations

What characterizes these operations

1. Military engagement

  • routine military activities (day-to day conflict tension low)

2. Crisis response

  • peace enforcement (i.e. noncombat evacuation, peace operations)

3. Major operations

  • often large-scale or long duration operations (often associated with wartime conditions)

Military operations

Military readiness

  • Military readiness is dependent of soldiers’ physical fitness

Outline of talk

  • What is military operations?

  • The demand of the military soldier

  • Determinants for military readiness

  • Benefit of maintaining physical fitness

  • Training strategies during deployment to preserve physical fitness and military readiness

  • Practical application

Military operations

Demands of physical fitness - has increased

Figure from (Nindl et al. 2013; Boye et al. 2017)

Military readiness

Demands of physical fitness - anaerobic battlefield

  • Technology and equipment

  • Fast moving to the objective

Military operations

Demands of physical fitness - heavy tasks

  • Increased physically demanding tasks

  • Heavy duties increase 12-22% compared to garrison duties

(Boye et al. 2017)

Military working demands

  • What is your working demand in your filed of expertise?

    • Spend two minutes to discuss - reflect upon this question

Outline of talk

  • What is military operations?

  • The demand of the military soldier

  • Determinants for military readiness

  • Benefit of maintaining physical fitness

  • Training strategies during deployment to preserve physical fitness and military readiness

  • Practical application

Military operations

Determinants for military readiness

Determinants for military readiness

Strength and endurance factors

Strength capacity

  • Moderate to strong correlations (r > 0.4)

(Data from: Hauschild et al. 2017; Hendrickson et al. 2010; Mala et al. 2015; NATO 2019; Ojanen, Kyröläinen, et al. 2018)

Determinants for military readiness

Strength and endurance factors

Endurance capacity

  • Moderate to strong correlations (r > 0.4)

(Data from: Hauschild et al. 2017; Hendrickson et al. 2010; Mala et al. 2015; NATO 2019; Ojanen, Kyröläinen, et al. 2018)

Determinants for military readiness

Strength and endurance factors

Strength capacity

  • Moderate to strong correlations (r > 0.4)

Endurance capacity

  • Moderate to strong correlations (r > 0.4)

Military readiness

Determinants for military readiness

  • Multi-factor stresses on soldiers

Military readiness

Determinants for military readiness

Consequences of being in a multi-stress environment

  • These multi-stress factors are typically observed during field exercises

Consequences of being in a multi-stress environment

The soldier is in a challenging position

(Hamarsland et al. 2018; Vikmoen et al. 2020; Nindl et al. 2002)

Consequences of bein in a multi-stress environment

The soldier is in a challenging position

  • Consequences are decreased physical/military performance

  • Can even jeopardize mission and lives

(Henning, Park, and Kim 2011)

Outline of talk

  • What is military operations?

  • The demand of the military soldier

  • Determinants for military readiness

  • Benefit of maintaining physical fitness

  • Training strategies during deployment to preserve physical fitness and military readiness

  • Practical application

Benefits of physical fitness during deployment

Benefits of physical fitness during deployment

(Kraemer and Szivak 2012; Taylor et al. 2008; Zwilling et al. 2020; Szivak and Kraemer 2015; Kyrolainen et al. 2018; Warr et al. 2012, 2013)

Benefits of physical fitness during deployment

(Kraemer and Szivak 2012; Taylor et al. 2008; Zwilling et al. 2020; Szivak and Kraemer 2015; Kyrolainen et al. 2018; Warr et al. 2012, 2013)

Benefits of physical fitness during deployment

(Kraemer and Szivak 2012; Taylor et al. 2008; Zwilling et al. 2020; Szivak and Kraemer 2015; Kyrolainen et al. 2018; Warr et al. 2012, 2013)

Benefits of physical fitness during deployment

(Kraemer and Szivak 2012; Taylor et al. 2008; Zwilling et al. 2020; Szivak and Kraemer 2015; Kyrolainen et al. 2018; Warr et al. 2012, 2013)

Benefits of physical fitness during deployment

(Kraemer and Szivak 2012; Taylor et al. 2008; Zwilling et al. 2020; Szivak and Kraemer 2015; Kyrolainen et al. 2018; Warr et al. 2012, 2013)

Benefits of physical fitness during deployment

(Kraemer and Szivak 2012; Taylor et al. 2008; Zwilling et al. 2020; Szivak and Kraemer 2015; Kyrolainen et al. 2018; Warr et al. 2012, 2013)

Benefits of physical fitness during deployment

(Kraemer and Szivak 2012; Taylor et al. 2008; Zwilling et al. 2020; Szivak and Kraemer 2015; Kyrolainen et al. 2018; Warr et al. 2012, 2013)

Benefits of physical fitness during deployment

(Kraemer and Szivak 2012; Taylor et al. 2008; Zwilling et al. 2020; Szivak and Kraemer 2015; Kyrolainen et al. 2018; Warr et al. 2012, 2013)

Benefits of physical fitness during deployment

(Kraemer and Szivak 2012; Taylor et al. 2008; Zwilling et al. 2020; Szivak and Kraemer 2015; Kyrolainen et al. 2018; Warr et al. 2012, 2013)

Benefits of physical fitness during deployment

(Kraemer and Szivak 2012; Taylor et al. 2008; Zwilling et al. 2020; Szivak and Kraemer 2015; Kyrolainen et al. 2018; Warr et al. 2012, 2013)

Benefits of physical fitness during deployment

(Kraemer and Szivak 2012; Taylor et al. 2008; Zwilling et al. 2020; Szivak and Kraemer 2015; Kyrolainen et al. 2018; Warr et al. 2012, 2013)

Outline of talk

  • What is military operations?

  • The demand of the military soldier

  • Determinants for military readiness

  • Benefit of maintaining physical fitness

  • Training strategies during deployment to preserve physical fitness and military readiness

  • Practical application

Strategies for maintaining physical fitness

Training principles

Strategies for maintaining physical fitness

Periodization training strategy

Training strategies

Possible to train systematic over time?

Prolonged operations in the literature

“The bigger picture”

  • Prolonged military operations (deployment)
    • has duration of 3-15 months in the literature

  • Deployed in Afghanistan, Chad, Lebanon, Iraq, Kosovov

(Henning, Park, and Kim 2011)

What is seen during deployments in changes in physical fitness

(Created from: Pihlainen et al. 2023)

  • Strength and Power in general not that negatively affected
  • Aerobic performance decrements

  • In general some variation (shaded area = ± 7% margin)

What is seen during deployment studies in changes in body composition

(Created from: Pihlainen et al. 2023)

  • Less than 4% change in body mass and muscle mass over these prolonged periods (shaded area = ± 4% margin)
  • Changes in both directions
  • Larger variation in fat mass changes

Characteristics of deployment studies

Deployment duration and country

  • Affecting outcomes from deployment studies:

  • Duration of deployment period

  • Countries (environments)?

Characteristics of deployment studies

Post-deployment measure

Affecting outcomes from deployment studies:

  • delay of measurements post deployment
  • range 0 to 60 days
  • 209 days in Sharp et al 2008

Why this drop in aerobic capacity

Training volume drops

Reduction in solders endurance training during deployment

Lester 2010 - 88% vs 29%

Sharp 2008 - 80 vs 35%

Rintamaki 2012 - 11%

Warr 2013 - 57%

  • Aerobic training is not prioritized these years, due to low air quality

  • Respiratory health concerns?

  • Initially fitness level?

(Garshick and Blanc 2023; Pihlainen et al. 2020)

Strength - less change between pre vs during deployment

Lester 2010 - 63% vs 44%

Sharp 2008 - 58% vs 56%

Rintamaki 2012 - 13%

Warr 2013 - 67%

Summary slide of deployments studies

  • Body composition is not that affected over these prolonged deployment periods
  • Aerobic capacity seems to decline more than strength capacity
  • There are large heterogeneity between deployment studies in duration and measurements time points
  • Makes it challenging to draw valid conclusions

Physical training during deployment

Physical training during deployment

Can more optimal training conditions be achieved during deployment?

  • Lowest conflict level

  • Probably most feasible time to implement systematic training

Physical training during deployment

Can more optimal training conditions be achieved during deployment?

  • Sustained low level of conflict
  • Minimal with combined multi-stressor factors

Training during prolonged operation

A study demonstraining the importance of training during deployment

Training during prolonged operation

The importance of training

Warr et al 2013

  • 88 soldiers joined the study
  • Unknown place and duration of deployment
  • The measurements were conducted 10 days after homecoming
  • Reporting training frequency performed during deployment period

Training during prolonged operation

The importance of training

Reported training frequency during the deployment:

  • Aerobic training: 57% of the soldiers reported >= 3 times per week
  • Strength training: 67% of the soldiers reported >= 3 times per week

Training during prolonged operation

The importance of training

Performance:

  • Greater changes in aerobic capacity with higher training frequency (>3 wk)
  • Greater changes in strength (upper-body) with higher training frequency (>3 wk)
  • Reduced fat mass and increased muscle mass
  • Changes in body composition occurred independent of training frequency during the deployment

Training during prolonged operation

The importance of training

Health:

  • Greater training frequency of aerobic training was associated with better percieved health status post deployment
  • Study demonstrates the importance of maintain training during deployment on physical fitness and perceived health

Training during prolonged operation

Deployed in Lebanon for 6 months

Pihlainen et al 2022

  • Long term effects of combined strength and endurance training on body composition and physical performance.
  • During deployment:

    • Activities were patrolling, observations outside the military base, duties inside the camp
    • Low intensity during the stay, but obligated to maintain operative readiness - so some psychological stress of the soldier

Training during prolonged operation

Periodization model

  • 78 male soldiers
  • Performed block-periodization training

Split into three experimental groups:

  • Trad: 2 strength and 2 endurance session
  • Strength focus group, 3 strength + 1 endurance session
  • Endurance focus group, 3 endurance + 1 strength session
  • Control group, reporting their training

(Pihlainen et al. 2022)

Training during prolonged operation

Periodization model

In average the soldiers performed 3.2 training session per week during the period

Overall all, the training groups improved:

  • Muscle mass
  • Maximal isometric force (lower body)
  • Military task performance test
  • Maintained endurance performance
  • Maintained body mass
  • Control also observed positive changes
  • Authors observed large variation between individual responses
  • Different fitness levels at baseline
  • Suggesting importance of individual programs

Training during prolonged operation

Periodization model

In summary

  • Training in average 3 times per week of combined strength and endurance training during deployment
  • Soldiers maintained endurance, strength parameters and improved military task performance

Training systematic during low conflict levels seems to maintain physical fitness in soldiers

Task specific training during deployment

“Train as you will fight”

  • Replicate the movement pattern experiencing on the battlefield

Why this training focus:

  • Neuromuscular system is primed for the specific physical performance movements
  • Sustained force out put
  • Decrease risk of injury
  • Better prepared to handle the battlefield military tasks and requirements (military readiness)

(Vaara et al. 2022; Mala et al. 2015; Knapik et al. 2012; Reilly, Morris, and Whyte 2009)

Task specific training during deployment

“Train as you will fight”

Ojanen et al 2020

  • Included 42 soldiers
  • 12 week training study
  • Military environment
  • Allocated to either:

    • Tasks specific group; full combat gear (27kg), performing sprints, crawling, and casualty drag (high intensity effort)
    • Strength group: traditional resistance training program (1-15 RM)
    • control group: regular military training, circut training

Task specific training during deployment

“Train as you will fight”

Test:

  • Several strength and power measures

Task specificity test:

  • Military task performance test consisted of sprints, crawling, carrying objects, casualty evacuation.

Task specific training during deployment

“Train as you will fight”

  • Task specific group and strength group improved performance more than control (6 weks)
  • Able to maintain performance the last 6 weeks
  • Doing task specific training are an alternative to resistance training during deployment

Training strategy

Maintain physical fitness as good as possible during deployment

  • Minimal dose needed?

Training strategy

Stable peace - low conflict intensity

Training strategy

Increased events of operations during deployment

  • Fast changing situations, demands quick response time during deployment

  • Currently there are no military standards for physical training during deployment (Pihlainen et al. 2022)

Increased events of operations during deployment

Minimize the drop in soldiers physical fitness

  • Sustain physical fitness?

  • Maintain military readiness over time?

Military operation simulation studies

Field exercises

  • Large changes following field exercises (2-10 days)

What can we learn from these field studies simulating extreme operations during deployment

What can we learn from these field studies simulating extreme operations during deployment

  • There is likely to be a drop in physical fitness and muscle performance during these extreme conditions
  • It is often related to multiple-stressor in combination for periods
  • Difficult to avoid

Flexible periodization model during deployment

More chooices for the soldier is needed!

Flexible periodization model during deployment

Suggestion of a flexible program

Micro training strategy

A good idea to implement for soldiers?

  • Time restriction

  • Very short training session - any effect?

Micro training cycles

A good idea to implement for soldiers?

Kilen et al 2015

  • Participants 29

  • Performed 8 week training in a military environment

  • Gr 1: 9 x 15 min sessions per week (Micro)

  • Gr 2: 3 x 45 min session per week (Classic)

  • Weekly training volume was the same

Exercises:

  • Heavy resistance training (5-8 RM - 2-3 sets)
  • High-intensity endurance training (2-4 min intervals x 6 to 9 )
  • Muscle endurance training (30 sec per series in 5 exercises)

Micro training cycles

A good idea to implement for soldiers?

Similar adaptations between groups after 8 weeks:

  • Aerobic performance
  • Strength performance

Micro training cycles

A good idea to implement for soldiers?

  • My be a good alternative during time restricted periods during deployment

  • Some training time is better than nothing

Flexible periodization model during deployment

Recovery aspect following operations

  • NOTABLY
  • Post demanding operations:
    - Recovery days (optimal 1-2 weeks)

Summary of flexible periodisation

  • Advantage:

    • The commandor knows that the soldier is doing training to maintain physical fitness over a certain time period
    • Easier to control recovery and mitigate overtraining
  • Disadvatage:

    • The commandor does not know wheter the training is done
    • There is a risk that the soldier frequently choose the easy session (unmotivated)
  • Suggestion to increase training motivation:

    • maybe include frequent testing of physical fitness during deployment?
    • to motivate progression in training

What we do pre-doplyment is also of importance

A high baseline in physical fitness

A high baseline to minimize the drop?

  • The drop can tell us something about the baseline

  • Baseline physical fitness need to be high

    • Delay drop in physical fitness during operations?
    • To better preserve readiness during deployment

(Hamarsland et al. 2018; Ojanen, Häkkinen, et al. 2018; Solberg et al. 2015)

Summary of strategies

- During low intensity conflict periods

  • Including frequent training sessions seems to maintain physical fitness and perceived health during deployment
  • Including task specific training - could maintain soldiers physical fitness
  • Maintain physical fitness with one weekly session could be possible in periods (minimal dose needed)

- During high intensity conflict periods

  • More strategies is needed to sustain physical fitness
  • Flexible periodization can be an alternative to better sustain training continuity
  • Short micro sessions of high intensity - low volume can be an effective and time efficient strategy
  • High as possible physical fitness level pre-deployment can maintain soldiers physical resilience

Practical application

Training strategies:

  • Create mesocyles with specific training goals for the individual soldier
  • Make 3-4 alternative session (easy to hard) which can be chosen by the soldier depending on his/her physiological readiness
  • Short micro session is probably better than no training session

Notably:

  • A short recovery period following demanding operations is necessary, to minimize delayed recovery and military readiness
  • Initial fitness level must be optimized as good as possible before entering a deployment period

Thank you

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